By KEVIN JAKAHI
By KEVIN JAKAHI
Tribune-Herald sports writer
For years, there’s been an interesting pot of high-caliber stew brewing at Waiakea, finally home to the league’s boys basketball team with the most depth, talent and expectations.
The Warriors haven’t won a Big Island Interscholastic Federation title since 2009. Their last trip to the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division I state tournament was the following season.
However, they have four returning senior starters — Lucas St. George, Dillon Rellez, Bryson Ita and Maikai Gahan — all seasoned with years of built-in chemistry. Each received recognition on the competitive All-BIIF East teams last season.
St. George, a 6-foot-3 center, and Rellez, a 5-10 guard, landed on the first team while Ita, a 5-6 guard, and Gahan, a 5-11 forward, got honorable mention. No other team, from the East or West divisions, returns that many all-stars.
Better yet, Rellez, Ita and Gahan have been playing hoops together since they were in the fourth grade. A few years later, St. George became part of that group.
The biggest motivation is that Waiakea’s Core Four has never reached states. It’s their last chance, a task made harder as the Division I title favorite. That distinction puts a bull’s-eye on the team’s back with everyone bringing their best game to knock off the league’s big cheese.
Actually, there’s an asterisk to that void at states. Rellez and Gahan were key parts on Waiakea’s BIIF championship volleyball team during the 2012-13 season. Those Warriors own an enviable string — 17 straight trips to states.
On the basketball court, the Core Four Warriors came so close last season, falling to Konawaena 59-58 in the BIIF semifinals. As sophomores, youth did them no favors and Waiakea lost to Kealakehe 54-44 in the first round.
“This year we should go to states. We’re a more hustling team,” St. George said. “But we have to go out and play hard. Being the favorite doesn’t mean anything, until you go out and win something.
“It’s just the same guys playing together. I’ve been playing with Bryson, Maikai and Dillon since the seventh grade at Waiakea Uka. We’re basically all good friends and best friends who help each other on the court.”
Instead of chilling out during the summer, St. George and Rellez played on the Hoop Dreams club team, coached by Randy “Helicopter” Apele. His son, 2012 Kamehameha graduate Lanaki Apele, is at Division III Cal Lutheran.
Under the Helicopter, a former St. Joseph golden star, Rellez spent his time slashing to the rim and firing jumpers from the corner. Those refurbished skills should help free Ita and Gahan for open long-range looks, and provide space in the paint for St. George, a double-edged sword as an inside presence and defender.
“Lucas has been our MVP by far, during the preseason,” Waiakea coach Paul Lee said. “We can pressure more on the perimeter because he’s a safety blanket if our guards get beat. From last year to this year, his improvement has been unreal. He’s more intense and grabs more rebounds than he ever did.
“His post play draws a lot of attention. Our guards get a lot of open looks and 3-pointers. But he has to stay out of foul trouble. He can’t make silly fouls, like reach-ins. We need him on the court, and he makes our team better.”
Kahinu Alapai, a 6-0 sophomore forward, figures to get starts and a load of minutes when the Warriors decide to field a big lineup. Mark Pacris, a 5-10 junior, and Daylen Ita, a junior and the same size as his brother, logged key minutes last season.
The job of distributing the ball to open shooters will fall to the older Ita, who feels no burden of being tagged as everybody’s No. 1 target.
“Our strength is shooting around the perimeter,” he said. “We’ve got good shooters. We can also post up and have high-percentage shots down low.
“We’re picked as the favorite, but we’ve got to keep our humbleness, and take every game as it comes.”
Surnames, depth
There are some well-known last names on the roster: sophomore guard Noah Ferreira (son of former Hilo star Bruce Ferreira), senior center Jeff Tomas (grandson of Waiakea girls coaching legend Gil Tomas), and freshman guard Calvin Mattos (brother of ex-Waiakea standouts Chris and Jamie Mattos).
The 5-8 Mattos is shorter than his brother, but taller than his sister. He still has time to grow. One part of his game that’s refined is his ability to finish in transition; when a miss is rebounded and fired to Mattos on the outlet he’s a blur to the basket.
He and a few other fellow Warriors, like crafty junior guard Cody Kojima, picked up valuable playing time because several starters have been on the disabled list during the preseason.
Ita has been on the mend with a hand injury. He’s expected back for the second game against Kamehameha. Rellez has been battling an ankle problem. The other two starters have been relatively healthy and mindful of their last-chance status.
“It gives us a sense of urgency,” said Gahan, who echoed St. George. “This is our senior season, and we’re all best friends and play hard for each other.
“We can’t settle for anything. People may think we’re the best. But we have to play like we’re not. We’ve just got to work hard.”
Right-way road
With the return to the round-robin format, the regular-season champion claims the first of the league’s two berths to the Division I state tournament. It’s a four-team playoff for both divisions.
The schedule tilts favorably to the Warriors, who host Division I foes Kamehameha (Jan. 7), Konawaena (Jan. 18) and Hilo (Jan. 27). Next season, they’re supposed to travel to enemy territory.
Lee knows the history of how the mighty have fallen. He recalled that in 2011 Pahoa was the BIIF Division II champion. The next season, Kohala knocked off the Daggers in the semifinals. Last season in the same situation, Pahoa exacted revenge against the Cowboys.
A year ago, Hilo was the people’s pick; the talent-rich Vikings lost to youthful Kamehameha 65-59 in the semifinals.
“Going to states is one of our goals. For years, we’ve been young and building,” Lee said. “For our seniors, it’s their last chance. It’s not like college, where you can redshirt.
“Bad things happen when you look ahead. We want to go through every step, one practice, one game at a time. If you do things the right way, most times good things happen.”
Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of BIIF boys basketball previews.
Next up: Pahoa, Monday